


Will you look away?

by ShadowSelene (Shadowdianne)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 16:24:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16768678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowdianne/pseuds/ShadowSelene
Summary: Prompt: Regina telling Emma she's not coming back with them to Storybook. Break my heart.Asked by anon





	Will you look away?

“May I speak to you?”

Emma turned to Regina, brows furrowing as she stared at the older woman, at the way she kept her hands clasped together in front of her body, eyes squinted due to the warm light that seeped through the tall trees. There was doubt there, on the way Regina pressed her fingers together, on the way she didn’t move her hands to put in place some rebel strands of her short hair back behind her ears as the breeze messed them up.

Nodding and glancing briefly at both Killians and Henry, she didn’t quite wait for the one next to her to say something or stop her as she took a step towards the other woman, feeling Hook’s omnipresent arm leave her lower back. Leaves breaking beneath her boots, she tilted her head, at the way Regina’s eyes followed her movements while a crocked smile appeared, a sudden duck of her head obscuring the older woman’s face as she turned and walked away from the clearing they all had decided to settle in, not once looking back.

“Regina?” Her call got lost on the woods around them, but she followed, quickly reaching for the brunette and barely registering Hook’s calls as well as Henry’s own muttered reply to his voice, one that elicited a grunt from the pirate.

The brunette, meanwhile, didn’t stop, not until she walked away enough for them to be out of earshot. It was then when she halted, hands now falling limply at her sides and purple sparks running down her wrists and fingers. This time, when Emma caught up with her, the brunette did turn, a pensive look on her eyes. One Emma had already seen from time to time. On herself, a long time ago.

“You want to leave.”

_“You want to stay.”_

It wasn’t the right wording. They both knew it and yet, as Emma felt her own magic bubble within her throat, Regina looked away for a moment before nodding minutely, finally chasing away the rogue strands of her and putting them where they belonged.

“I think it’s better if I help Henry.”

Her eyes didn’t quite focus on Emma as she spoke, her words careful and clear and yet doubtful in a way that made Emma take a step backwards, more leaves crunching and breaking beneath her. It had been quite a while that Regina had lied to her. And, at the same time, that was a lie on itself. And the two of them knew it.

As they knew that after Henry had left Regina had spent more time trying not to leave than Emma had herself.

“Don’t do it.”

It felt strange, the way Emma could feel herself about to break and yet her voice came out as steady as ever, despite the sudden terror on her throat, the beating of her heart on her temples. Leaving had always been something she did, something she would do, not Regina. Not like this.

And yet Regina sighed and closed her eyes, pressing her lips together, a last attempt of not answering to Emma’s plea. One Emma also knew she did not have the kind of power or claim to make.

“Is for the better.” Regina’s eyes shone purple when they finally met Emma’s and the blonde swallowed at them, at what the brunette was not telling her, at what Emma knew Regina was not willing to give, not anymore. Chuckling sadly, Regina shook her head and glanced above Emma’s shoulder, to the clearing neither of them could really see beyond the trees. “We both know is for the better.”

It was strange, how quickly they had accustomed to talk in riddles, how stilted and strange their relationship had evolved. How much it had pained Emma, still pained her, to look at the older woman from afar.

“I will miss you.”

It was a truth she had never dreamt of admitting, not like this, in the middle of some Enchanted Forest, about to leave, about to go back. And yet, as she saw Regina’s swift blink of surprise, Emma felt some sense of pride of her words, of that quick flash of bravery and hotheadedness that seemed to have been dormant, away, for far too long.

And there it was, Regina’s answer to that; a flash of her own anger, of her own pride, looking back at her, changing her posture from the one she had been holding -demure, poised- to the one Emma had learnt to link to the Queen. Royal, larger than life.

Beautiful.

“Don’t say that.”

It was as closer to an admission and a question the two of them were ever going to go. They knew that as much as they knew Emma would never press on that statement, not without playing with her ring, not without placing her hands on top of her stomach, not without looking back, searching for Killian, always present, always there. And, as much as it pained, infuriated Emma, she didn’t press.

“I will.” She said though, one final reply that made Regina sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose. A movement so hers that made Emma smile a little, despite the reality of seeing Regina stay still clawing at her heart.

“I will take care of him.”

The blonde laughed at that, as if there would be a world in where Regina wouldn’t care for their son. As if there was a reality she would not look out for him. Maybe because of that, because of the way Regina kept looking at her, warm glowing light framing her body, fresh air carrying with it the unmistakable smell of ozone with it, that Emma took a step forward and rose one hand, low enough to present not threat, high enough to almost grasp Regina’s forearm, almost.

“Will you ever come back?” She asked and, as she saw Regina’s doubt reflected back at her, she knew the answer would never be the one she wanted. “Please.”

The older woman finally shrugged. “Storybrooke is not my home anymore, Miss Swan.”

“Don’t call me that.” It came quickly, a knee-reaction, with a bite and heat that surprised both of them as a flurry of sparks drowned Regina’s mauve ones, chasing those away and tinting everything in a warm glow, one neither of them spoke about or pointed at. Not now. Not after so long pretending it wasn’t there with any new decision, with any new chapter written and finished in front of them.

“Emma.”

This time it was the former Queen who plead and Emma, at loss, let her hand fall, green eyes closing before nodding, taking a step away as Regina crossed her arms in front of her chest, features schooled and unmoving.

They returned, silent, to where the others waited for them and when Emma glanced at her, portal opened, Regina mirrored the nod, a “Goodbye” never said but hanging low on both of their heads and, as the swirling vortex finally closed, there was an echo of a night and a stopping ticking clock. But neither of them was able to hear it. Or feel each other.

Not until a very long time.

_“Sorry I'm late.”_

_“Emma.”_


End file.
